Salt air on ECR and OMR: what it does to your car

Many of our customers live along ECR, in Thiruvanmiyur, Palavakkam and Neelankarai, or work in the IT parks along OMR within a few kilometres of the sea. The salt air there is pleasant to breathe and hard on cars.

Salt carried on the sea breeze settles on every surface as a fine film. With humidity, it draws moisture and speeds up corrosion on bare metal: brake discs, exhaust parts, underbody bolts and any stone chip that has gone through to the steel. On paint, it leaves a gritty layer that scratches when wiped dry.

The answer is regular, gentle washing. Cars parked near the beach should be rinsed with fresh water at least once a week, even if they look clean, and washed properly every two weeks. Never wipe a dusty, salty car with a dry cloth. Rinse first, then wash with a soft mitt and a pH-neutral shampoo.

Underneath, have the underbody washed every two or three months, especially after the monsoon, when flooded roads near the coast carry a lot of salty water. Ask your service centre to check brake lines and the exhaust. Stone chips on the bonnet should be touched up promptly before rust starts. A ceramic coating or paint protection film helps because salt rinses off the slick surface more easily, but neither replaces washing. Our maintenance foam wash at ₹1,800 includes an underbody rinse.